Fairmont State welcomes Frostburg State to the MEC

On Thursday, Frostburg State University joined the Mountain East Conference following a unanimous vote of approval by the MEC Board of Directors. If accepted into the NCAA Division II process, Frostburg State would be slated to begin competition in the MEC beginning with the 2019-20 academic year. Full membership in the MEC will ultimately be contingent upon Frostburg State achieving active membership status in NCAA Division II.

“The administration, coaches and student-athletes at Fairmont State University are pleased to welcome Frostburg State to the MEC,” said Acting Director of Athletics Chad Fowler. “Frostburg is currently a highly competitive Division III program and we feel confident that their location, facilities and past success will make their transition to Division II and the MEC a success.”

Frostburg State, located in western Maryland just 30 miles from the West Virginia border, is a public, four-year comprehensive university that has 4,725 undergraduate students and over 600 graduate/doctoral students. It is fully accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and is a member of the University System of Maryland.

“We at Frostburg State believe this opportunity to align with the Mountain East Conference in conjunction with our application to NCAA Division II will allow us to enhance our focus on the student-athlete experience. We were impressed with the quality of competition and attention that would be afforded them in the Mountain East Conference,” said Frostburg State President Ronald Nowaczyk. “We see the MEC and the prospect of a move to Division II as means to ensure that Frostburg State is keeping pace with the changing landscape around us, and it demonstrates our commitment to striking the appropriate level of balance between the student and the athlete.”

Established in 2013, the Mountain East Conference has quickly established itself as one of the top all-sports conferences in the country. In just five years, MEC institutions have produced two team NCAA Division II champions, seven national finalists and 13 semifinalists. In addition to the athletic success, the MEC recognizes over 1,500 student-athletes annually for their academic success and additionally has had seven “NCAA Elite 90” winners, which honors the individual with the highest cumulative grade-point average at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 90 championships.

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